HAMDEN ,CT - The Iona University softball team split with Quinnipiac on Friday.
Kara Zazzaro earned the win in game one, tossing her fourth complete-game shutout of the season.
Emma Capuano powered Iona's offense with three RBI in the victory.
GAME ONE: IONA 4, QUINNIPIAC, 0
Kara Zazzaro took to the circle for game one of the doubleheader, retiring the first eight batters she faced before allowing a baserunner. Her opposition in the circle allowed just one baserunner in Iona's first turn through the batting order. The Bobcats would strand the two runners in the third inning against Zazzaro, keeping the game scoreless through three frames.
Iona opened the scoring in the fourth inning, plating three runs in the frame. Jamie Sheeran started the rally with a single, followed by a Kaylin Flukey single before Brianna Bailey reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases with one out. Kenadie Gonzalez grounded out for the second out, plating Iona's first run in the process. A two-out single by Emma Capuano brought home two runs to extend the Gaels' lead to 3-0 before the inning ended with Capuano trying to swipe second.
Zazzaro retired the side in order in the fourth and worked around a leadoff single in the fifth and a leadoff double in the sixth to keep her shutout intact. Capuano drove in her third run of the afternoon with a double in the seventh, adding an insurance run for Zazzaro and the Maroon & Gold. Zazzaro would complete the shutout, her fourth of the season, to secure a win for Iona in the opening game of a twin bill in Hamden.
GAME TWO: QUINNIPIAC 6, IONA 5
Both sides put up a pair of runs in the first inning of game two. Sheeran blasted a two-run homer, scoring Hannah Werth, who reached on a fielding error to lead off the second game. The Bobcats responded with a two-run single in the home half of the first to even the score.
After both sides were retired in order in the second inning, the scoring resumed in the third inning. Sheeran drove in her third run of the game with a double that plated Werth, her second run of the contest. Quinnipiac scored twice in the home half of the third, the first run coming around to score after three errors defensively by Iona. A second unearned run would score later in the frame on a ground out, giving Quinnipiac a 4-3 advantage.
Jessica Chilcott evened the score in the top of the fifth, plating Kayla Haywood with a single into left field. Quinnipiac quickly recaptured the lead with a one-out single followed by a double that made it a 5-4 game. Later in the frame after Dani Beckham entered to replace Samantha Rieb, the Bobcats added another run to create a two-run cushion entering the sixth.
Iona stranded a pair of runners after back-to-back two-out singles in the sixth, and a Sheeran solo shot would be the only run Iona could muster across the final two frames. The Bobcats induced a ground-ball double play to end the game and salvage a split of the Friday doubleheader.
UP NEXT
Iona heads to Fairfield for a doubleheader tomorrow. Game one between the Gaels and the Stags is scheduled for an 11:00 a.m. start.
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